Venus de Miles: It’s Not Just for Women with Road Bikes Anymore.

Listen to Dream Team Rider, Heather Irmiger
and Leah Goldstein, talk about their role
in Venus de Miles

You’ve probably never seen me on a road bike. That’s because I’ve never ridden one. Unless you count my sweet 10-speed bike I had way back when. When I wore monogrammed sweaters and had a bi-level haircut and I thought Shaun Cassidy was cool. That’s why it might surprise you that I’ve decided to ride in the Venus de Miles. Yep. You read that right. I was thinking about riding my pink mountain bike and I know you can ride anything you want but I figure we might as well make this an experience to really remember by putting myself on a bike with very skinny tires. And so I called my buddy at the Trek store here in Boulder. And thanks to Chris and Trek, I will be straddling something with very skinny tires (compared to my mountain bike) and a gearing system I’m sure will be way over my head.

This will be the 5th year for the Venus de Miles and it seems to get bigger and quite possibly better every year. It is not a race and so if you’re thinking to yourself, “I’m not as fast as Cheri” or “I’m not in as good of shape as Cheri” then you can stop right there. Oh. You weren’t thinking that at all? Awkward! But seriously, this ride is about raising money for the Greenhouse Scholars. And the Greenhouse Scholars provides financial, practical and personal support to high achieving under resourced people. Bottom line=It helps people fulfill their educational goals. To date, over $379,000 has been raised! This is an easy way to make a difference and support people who want to get an education and have fun! Win. Win. Win.

There are four options for ride length; 100, 67, 51 and 33 miles. And my favorite part? If you wake up and you’re not feeling the 57 mile ride you signed up for you can change your mind! You can ride the 33 mile route. Lately I’ve been seeing some cyclists around town with a pacer person on a scooter. I think the scooter person carries refreshments and yells at the cyclists for encouragement. I also think I want one of these people. But the closest thing I will come to a scooter person is my Eurovan with my husband and three kids. I can see it now. My kids would be yelling out the window at me, “Are we there yet?” and “What are you making for dinner?” Somehow I think the cyclists with the people on the scooters are having a totally different experience. I knew I shouldn’t have sold my scooter.

Well, I better get to figuring out what to wear for the Venus de Miles. And if all this makes you want to sign up you still can—registration closes at midnight on 8/19. And in case you’re wondering, I signed up for the 67 mile ride. I figured, “Go big or stay at home and drink coffee.” Stay tuned!

Georgia Gould -- who won a bronze medal in mountain biking at the London Olympics -- will kick off this year's Venus de Miles women's bike ride and be on hand to sign autographs and meet cyclists, organizers announced on Tuesday.

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